The Failure of the Judicial System
by: Bob-0

You can just imagine the dismay I felt when I read this week's Penny Arcade news section, or maybe not, that's why I'm writing this! Anyway, turns out that some Cock-monger judge ruled on two things:

A) Kids under 17 aren't allowed to but IDSA rated "M" games. They CAN get them with parental consent.
B) Video games aren't protected by the free speech amendmant, becasue they "aren't art."

Well, the first ruling doesn't bug me the in the least, mostly because any kid can get a burned copy/ISO of a game whenever he damn feels. And your parents probably won't even pay attention to the big "M" on the package. BUT, the second ruling is the biggest kick to the cajones that any person that has ever made, enjoyed, or played a game, EVER. The judge ruled that games don't get any essential ideas across, nor are they legitimate speech. I can't express to you the shock that such a statement can be considered a thought of an actual human being. Now this report may seem a bit bias, but like his ruling wasn't, I guarrantee that when Joseph Lieberman and all the other anti-gaming politicians saw this hearing they lept for joy so much that they ended up hoping that what they felt was chocolate pie in there boxers. Anyway, to say that the plot of Deus Ex or Goldeneye (to name a couple) isn't essential to the game is just retarded. I mean these games are no different than a movie than you'd watch, except you control the action, which in my opinion makes it better than any movie I've ever seen (aside from the Matrix). Then it brings us back to the statement that games aren't art, rediculous. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't graphics design a class in schools and colleges? Aren't entire Tech Schools devoted to it? I'm sure that the makers of such games as Rez, Metal Gear Solid 2, Age of Mythology, etc. are jamming pencils into their eyes while listening to "The End" by the Doors. I mean the cartoon "Alley Oop"(biggest waste of ink and paper ever) is under the first ammendmant, while the hell isn't Unreal?

Which leads me to the conclusion that even a game as simple as Doom, though lacking in plot and purpose, was a beautiful feat back then. It takes rediculous amounts of talent to make a game, regardless of whether it's "gorgeous" or not. I loathe all that were affiliated with this descision, the fact that they can throw away all the developer's thousands of hours of work is beyond unfair, it's totally biased and cowardly. You can't link violence to games, though you can link violence to this ruling, don't expect a lot of hardworking individuals who design these games to take it lightly. To be perfectly fair AND honest, if I had the choice between taking back the lives of Hitler or these people who made the ruling, I would honestly hesitate, just a little bit.